Video: WW2 Ship Discovered 2,600 Ft. Underwater

Imagine making the discovery of a lifetime: a WW2 ship well over 2,000 feet underwater. Now, imagine that this sunken treasure from the worst war in recent history is almost completely intact. That is exactly what has happened with a ship discovered off the coast of San Fransisco, California – 64 years later and 26 hundred feet underwater, a WW2 aircraft carrier surveyed off the San Francisco coastline is ‘amazingly intact’, according to NOAA.

Boeing’s 18.5-foot-long autonomous underwater vehicle, Echo Ranger was used along with a 3D-imaging sonar system from Coda Octopus to gather some remarkable images of the USS Independence.

The sonar image compared with the historical image illustrates the extraordinarily well-preserved ship. The visuals show the hangar deck clearly visible and what may even be an airplane in one of the hatches.

The USS Independence served in the Pacific in the mid 1940’s and was also subjected to atomic blast testing. The ship ultimately ended up being scuttled in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

NOAA’s latest finding is part of its mission to map the estimated 300 wrecks in the San Francisco waters.